Everett made the road to the playoffs a little more difficult for the Oak Harbor High School girls basketball team by defeating the visiting Wildcats 41-34 Wednesday.

The loss dropped Oak Harbor (6-5, 9-6) into a fourth-place tie with Arlington. The top four teams automatically qualify for the district tournament.

Oak Harbor and Arlington will face off in a big match here next Wednesday, Feb. 3. But before that critical game, the Wildcats have to host third-place Lake Stevens (8-4) Friday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.

Arlington goes to first-place Marysville-Pilchuck (10-2) Friday.

For the second year in a row, Oak Harbor lost to lowly Everett (2-10, 3-13).

Oak Harbor coach Brett McLeod said the Seagulls’ Ashley Hope held Jessica Denmon to five points, all in the fourth quarter. Denmon, Wesco’s leading scorer, entered the game averaging 20 points a game.

Nicole Mowbray scored 13 for Oak Harbor and Clarissa Abedesco nine; the only other Wildcat scorers were Emilie Renninger and Janelle Yoshimoto with two each.

McLeod said both Mowbray and Denmon missed portions of the game with injuries. Denmon was poked in the eye and Mowbray suffered a back injury.

Oak Harbor jumped to a 9-2 lead and could have put the Seagulls in a deeper hole, but missed “a ton of easy shots,” according to McLeod.

McLeod said he knew it was going to be a tough night when Everett unintentionally “banked in five shots” in the first half.

Everett led 22-19 at the half, then upped the lead to 32-24 by holding Oak Harbor to only five third-quarter points.

The Wildcats closed within three in the final minute but could not complete the rally.